Chesapeake Bay 2025 YOY Striped Bass Survey Results – More Bad News
A juvenile striped bass caught and released by a survey crew in the Nanticoke River. Photo by Joe Zimmermann, Maryland DNR.
Striped bass are officially in a death spiral.
Maryland released the results of the 2025 Striped Bass Young-of-Year Survey. The press release calls it “…an improvement over recent years…”. Nice try. The only way to describe the 2025 spawn in the upper Chesapeake is an abject failure. Worse, it is the seventh year in a row that striped bass have failed to reproduce at a meaningful rate.
Here’s the dynamic the stocks now face. It takes a year-class approximately six years to reach reproductive maturity. Because we are now in a seven-year spawn drought (with no indication that things will change in the future), we are now on our second generation of fish that have not produced a single strong year class. Conditions were good this year, too, so there was optimism for a modest rebound. It didn’t happen.
The deck is stacked against the species. Dwindling SSB, warming water temperatures and low oxygenation in Chesapeake Bay. Even so, regulations focus the commercial harvest on large, breeding-sized females. The very fish on which the future depends. And in response the ASMFC nibbles at the edges of their latest plan to rebuild the Atlantic striped bass stock by 2029.
The plan won’t succeed. It can’t succeed.
Consider that the ASMFC has already admitted the 2025 year-class is a lost cause. Current regulations are intended to protect the 2017 and 2018 year-classes, which were the last years of above-average success. But guess which fish are ending up on ice headed to market? That’s right. The slot fish and overs that everyone is excited about are what remains of those fish. And every striped bass that dies by net, hook-and-line, or as bycatch further diminishes the chances of a recovery.
Stripers Forever has been attacked for our consistent call for an equitable coast-wide harvest moratorium, but we remain steadfast in our belief that it is the best—and perhaps only—policy that can work to give striped bass a chance to return to abundance. Maybe now someone on the striped bass management board with courage and influence will speak up and stand up to the watermen and the for-hire fleet and do the right thing.
It’s long past the time for an equitable coast-wide harvest moratorium.
LINKS
- MD Department of Natural Resources: Chesapeake Bay 2025 Young-of-Year Striped Bass Survey Results
- MD Department of Natural Resources: Juvenile Striped Bass Survey
ACTION ALERT – ASMFC Addendum III
ACTION ALERT – ASMFC ADDENDUM III
COMMENTS DUE BY FRIDAY OCTOBER 3 AT 11:59 PM EST
It’s been a while since you last heard from us, we do intend to update you on what’s been going on but the focus of this blog post is an important ASMFC action alert. The ASMFC is currently in a public comment period for Draft Addendum III to Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass. Amendment 7 was initiated in 2022 with the goal of rebuilding the striped bass SSB (spawning stock biomass) to it’s target level by 2029. Since then, the ASMFC striped bass board has kicked the can down the road at every turn. Facing 6 years of historically low (essentially failed) recruitment (spawning) in the Chesapeake Bay, the board still refuses to take strong preventative steps to rebuild the stock. Instead focusing on measures such as no-targeting closures. Declared unenforceable by the law enforcement committee and unquantifiable by the technical committee, this option should not be on the table. It is merely a distraction, we have never supported it and will never support it.
Instead, as we have since the inception of Amendment 7, Stripers Forever continues to support an equitable coast-wide harvest moratorium. It is the only proven way to rebuild the stock. While there have been plenty of naysayers who have opposed this option, we are now inching closer and closer to that exact outcome. Had the board acted more proactively at an earlier date the length of the moratorium could have potentially been shorter. Instead the board has decided to prolong the inevitable and push the stock closer and closer to complete collapse. Even if we rebuild the SSB by 2029, the impact of 6 straight years of failed recruitment offer very little hope for an abundant stock in the future.
Unfortunately, an equitable coast-wide harvest moratorium is not an option in Addendum III. Still, we urge you to tell the board that you believe it is the only way forward. You can do so as part of your comments while also supporting the strongest conservation options presented in Draft Addendum III. Below are the options we support and we urge you to support them in your comments to the board. Of the options presented, we believe these give the stock the best shot at rebuilding.
3.1 Method to Measure Total Length of a Striped Bass
- RECOMMENDATION: Option B. Mandatory Elements for Total Length Definition
3.2 Commercial Tagging: Point of Tagging
- RECOMMENDATION: Option B. Commercial Tagging At the Point of Harvest
3.3 Maryland Chesapeake Bay Recreational Season Baseline
- RECOMMENDATION: Option C. New Chesapeake Bay Recreational Season Baseline Plus 10% Uncertainty Buffer
3.4 Reduction in Fishery Removals to Support Stock Rebuilding
- RECOMMENDATION: Option B: Even Sector Reductions: Commercial -12% and Recreational -12% Sub-options 01 & CB1
Additional Options and added comments;
- Only support no-harvest closures.
- Do not support any for-hire exemptions.
- NY, CT and RI should all be included in the New England region.
- Support wave 4 closures for New England and wave 6 for the Mid-Atlantic regions.
- Let the board know that they should be taking strong preventative actions now, especially as we face 6 straight years of failed spawning in the Chesapeake Bay.
- Let the board know that you support a an equitable coast-wide harvest moratorium as the best and only way to rebuild the stock.
HOW TO COMMENT
The ASMFC now has a new website and staff has developed a special public comment form to facilitate the gathering of input on the Draft Addendum’s specific options.
Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Addendum III Public Comment
You can also comment by emailing to comments@asmfc.org
Please reach out to Emilie Franke, FMP Coordinator, with any questions at efranke@asmfc.org.
COMMENTS DUE BY FRIDAY OCTOBER 3 AT 11:59 PM EST
ADDITIONAL LINKS
ACTION ALERT – Don’t Kick the Can Down the Road
Having endured seven hours of ASMFC striped bass meetings between October and December two things are clear: striped bass are in trouble and the people charged with managing the species are unwilling to admit they have failed to protect them. The options on the table for 2025 are unlikely to succeed and the current ten-year rebuilding plan is already four years behind schedule. And with six straight years of spawning failure in Chesapeake Bay the future looks bleak, but that’s where you come in.
We can’t in good conscience endorse any of the options that will be discussed at the December 16 emergency meeting. Many are inequitable and none are bold enough to reverse a quarter-century of mismanagement. We urge you to continue to speak up in favor of an equitable coast-wide harvest moratorium. We know it made a difference in 2021, and since then some delegates have reluctantly admitted it may be an inevitability. By continuing to speak up in favor of that idea, we can give courage to those who know it is the right thing to do—and the only option left with a chance of succeeding.
The documents provided by the ASMFC (links below) are very complex and do not provide the usual breakdown of options as we would typically see in an amendment or addendum. As you write your comments to the ASMFC here are some key takeaways from the two documents provided by the Striped Bass TC (technical committee) and SAS (stock assessment subcommittee). Your comments should be directed at these points and also clearly state that an equitable coast-wide harvest moratorium is the only proven way to rebuild the stock.
- Move Forward With Caution – The board needs to air on the side of caution when moving forward with management decisions. The overfished status of the stock coupled with failed recruitment (spawning) in Chesapeake Bay means the board needs to make the most conservative reductions. We cannot predict when the current trend of failed recruitment will end, maximized reductions in effort and harvest give the stock the best chance of rebuilding by 2029. How those reductions occur is a bit more complicated.
- No Targeting Closures – For several reasons we cannot support any no targeting closures as they are currently outlined. First off, the law enforcement committee clearly stated, and on multiple occasions, that no targeting closures are unenforceable. If a regulation is unenforceable, then we immediately question any benefit that it might have. Tasking the TC (technical committee) with taking such an in depth look at no targeting closures was a gross mismanagement of valuable resources. In addition, the no targeting closures as they are currently being presented, are inequitable and allow for misuse by states who wish to avoid said closures. As with our call for an equitable coast-wide harvest moratorium, any regulation must be considered for it’s fairness and impact to local economies and stakeholders. As it currently stands, no targeting closures will create more negative impact than they would positively impact the rebuilding of the stock.
- No Harvest Closures – We do support no harvest closures but not how they are currently being considered. As with no targeting closures, equity is the key issue. If seasonal (time based) harvest closures are put into place, they must consider state by state seasons and existing harvest impact on the stock. We truly believe that everyone must make compromises in order to rebuild the stock, but they must be equitable. We cannot allow states to pick and choose, the ASMFC must be in control of those decisions, using sound science as the driving force.
- Adjusting the slot – Stripers Forever has, going back many years, been an advocate for the protection of larger breeding size striped bass. Fecundity (fertility/ egg production) increases in conjunction with the age of a striped bass. Therefore, protecting bigger spawning fish is very important to rebuilding the stock. Especially when we are facing six straight years of poor recruitment in the Chesapeake Bay (the #1 contributor of juvenile striped bass on the Atlantic coast). The board should be considering revising the slot limit, particularly shrinking and dropping the size range down to do everything it can to protect the 2015 and 2018 year classes. Any and all spawning fish need to be protected, they provide our one and only chance at rebuilding the stock.
The deadline for submitting comments is 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, December 10, so please share your feelings ASAP. Kicking the can down the road is not an option. Insist that the ASMFC move forward with equitable and effective regulations that rebuild the stock. And consider copying your state delegation as well. We’ve come too far to stop now!
Informational Webinar to Review Technical Report
On Thursday, December 5 at 6 p.m. the ASMFC held a informational webinar to review the management options developed by the Technical Committee and provide the public with sufficient background information to inform the development and submission of public comment by December 10. For those who were unable to attend the ASMFC has added that meeting recording to its YouTube Channel. You can find that link below and we strongly encourage everyone to watch it so that you can make informed comments.
MEETING & COMMENT INFO
December 16, 2024 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Description
The draft agenda and meeting materials for the December 16th Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board Meeting are now available HERE or on the meeting page at https://www.asmfc.org/home/December-2024-AtlStripedBassBoard-meeting.
The Board will meet in-person and via webinar on Monday, December 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to consider changing 2025 management measures to increase the probability of rebuilding the stock by the 2029 deadline. The meeting will be held at the Westin Crystal City, 1800 Richmond Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202. The Advisory Panel Report and all written comments received by December 10 will be posted no later than December 13.
The meeting responds to the results of the 2024 Stock Assessment Update, which indicates the resource remains overfished but is not experiencing overfishing. Short-term projections estimate an increase in fishing mortality in 2025 due to the above average 2018 year-class entering the current recreational ocean slot limit combined with the lack of strong year-classes behind it. In this scenario, the probability of rebuilding by 2029 is less than 50%. Under Addendum II to Amendment 7, the Board can change management measures through Board action, instead of developing an addendum, if the stock assessment indicates a less than 50% probability of the stock rebuilding by 2029. As a result, the Board will meet December 16 to consider changing 2025 management measures to reduce fishing mortality and increase the probability of rebuilding to at least 50%.
Webinar Information
The meeting will be broadcast via webinar; to register for the webinar, please go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4124340027335222108
(Webinar ID 586-838-579).
If you are joining the webinar but will not be using voice over internet protocol (VoIP), you can may also call in at +1.562.247.8422, access code 389-192-580. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN.
The webinar will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the meeting so people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter. If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio related issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.
Meeting Process
The Board Chair will ask both in-person and virtual board members if they wish to speak. In-person members can simply raise their hands at the meeting without logging on to the webinar, while virtual members will raise their hands on the webinar. The Chair will work with staff to compile the list of speakers, balancing the flow of questions/comments between in-person and virtual attendees.
The Board Chair will also provide the opportunity for comment at the meeting, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda. The Chair has the discretion in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities. This could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition of a motion until the Chair is satisfied further comments will not provide additional insight to the Board.
Public Comment Guidelines
The Commission anticipates a large volume of written public comments will be submitted for this meeting. In order to compile and provide the comments to the Board in a timely manner before the meeting, written comments may be submitted via email to comments@asmfc.org by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, December 10. Comments received after this date will not be included in the Board’s materials.
Per the Commission’s public comment guidelines, the Board Chair will provide the opportunity for comment at the meeting, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda. The Chair has the discretion in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities. This could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition of a motion until the Chair is satisfied further comments will not provide additional insight to the Board.
ADDITIONAL LINKS – MEETING MATERIALS
- Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – REVISED Dec. 16 Draft Agenda and Meeting Materials (PDF)
- 2024 Atlantic Striped Bass Stock Assessment Update (Oct 2024) (PDF)
- Atlantic Striped Bass Stock Assessment Update Overview (Nov 2024) (PDF)
ASMFC Informational Webinar to Review Technical Report (Thursday December 5, 2024 6PM EST)
In advance of the ASMFC Striped Bass Board meeting on December 16th and public comment deadline of December 10th (more on that in the near future), the commission will be holding an “Informational Webinar to Review Technical Report“.
From the ASMFC:
The Commission will host an Informational Webinar on Thursday, December 5 at 6 p.m. to review the management options developed by the Technical Committee and provide the public with sufficient background information to inform the development and submission of public comment by December 10. No public comments will be taken at this webinar; staff can address clarifying questions as time allows but public comments will not be taken.
To register for the December 5 Informational Webinar, please go to:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3243414609517348697
(Webinar ID 263-766-419)
If you are joining the webinar but will not be using voice over internet protocol, you can may also call in at +1 (562) 247-8422, access code 195-793-780. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN.
For more information, please contact Emilie Franke at efranke@asmfc.org.
ADDITIONAL LINKS – MEETING MATERIALS
- 2024 Stock Assessment Update (PDF)
- Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – REVISED Dec. 16 Draft Agenda and Meeting Materials (PDF)
